In Namibia, agriculture employs 30% of the labour force and contributes 7.5% to GDP. More
than 60% of the farming is done by subsistence farmers. The sector is facing challenges such
as low soil fertility and water shortage. To counter these challenges, sustainable land
management practices are needed, but subsistence farmers face constraints in adopting these
practices. Hence, this study was conducted to identify what practices the farmers are currently
using and what constraints they are facing in adopting sustainable land management practices.
Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 15 farmers in the Oshikoto Region. The
interviews were recorded, transcribed word for word and thematic analysis applied to the
answers. The study showed that the farmers were using some sustainable practices such as
manure and mould from termite hills as fertilizer. However, unsustainable practices such as
tractor-drawn disk harrows and inorganic fertilizer were also used. The constraints that affect
farmers’ adoption of sustainable land management practices include climate characteristics,
especially low and unpredictable rainfall; limited farmland size; lack of extension services
and institutional support; labour shortages; and lack of finances and other resources. Based on
these findings it is recommended that extension delivery to farmers in the study area must be
strengthened, that projects combating climate change must be down streamed to subsistence
farmers, and that farmers should be encouraged and supported to use ‘easy to adopt’
sustainable practices, e.g. crop rotation and ripping. It is also suggested that long-term
weather forecasts should be made available to the farmers through the radio. This could have a significantly positive impact on the environment as well as on subsistence farmers’ situation
and household food security.